Sports have a unique way of rallying communities – in fact, we’re seeing it right here, right now, as another Mifflin County Babe Ruth All-Star team is playing in a national tournament.
We see it regularly at the high school, college and professional level. But it’s especially captivating when it involves the innocence of young athletes.
Along with our Babe Ruth team, we wish the best to the Hollidaysburg Little League team that is playing this week in Williamsport.
Hollidaysburg has stormed its way into the Little League World Series, which begins tonight.
The Pennsylvania entry, which clinched the Mid-Atlantic Regional championship on Friday in Bristol, Connecticut, plays Thursday night on ESPN2 against Pearland, Texas.
The Mid-Atlantic title was actually the fourth tournament Hollidaysburg needed to win in order to advance to Williamsport.
In doing so, Hollidaysburg made history as the first Blair County team to ever qualify for the Little League World Series, and because the four games in Bristol were televised nationally by ESPN, anyone connected to the region has taken notice.
“The kids’ phones haven’t stopped ringing,” Hollidaysburg manager Jim McGough said. “It’s constant – the amount of text messages and phone calls, and not only just the community, but people who have moved away. People from California, Minnesota are seeing the kids on ESPN and feeling the pride of being from Hollidaysburg. It’s been awesome.”
Indeed. No matter how the local 12-year-old all-star team does on the big stage at Williamsport – or our 14-year-olds in North Dakota – these are definitely special achievements.
The collective spirit of a successful youth sports team is infectious – our local Babe Ruth squad rallied from losses in the state and regional tournaments, proving it can overcome disappointment. The same with the Blair County kids.
Simply put, these are teams to root for, and we will be.
News Source: Lewistown Sentinal
